Dentsply Sirona and the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) congratulate the winners of the 2020 Student Competition for Advancing Dental Research and its Application Awards (SCADA) program. Due to the global outbreak of COVID-19, the traditional competition and awards ceremony at this year’s IADR/AADR/CADR General Session & Exhibition had to be suspended, and students participated in a virtual research competition.

The 61st annual SCADA program was held under special circumstances. Despite COVID-19 restricting public events, US dental students were invited to participate in the research competition virtually.

All US dental schools were invited to nominate a student to participate in the research competition in one of two categories—Clinical Science and Public Health Research and Basic and Translational Science. The participants submitted a complete portfolio for review to an international panel of judges, including an electronic copy of his/her research poster, a slide presentation, and a video of their oral presentation. Research projects were submitted by 51 student clinicians and seven outstanding award winners were selected.

A program dedicated to research and international networking

SCADA was initiated in 1959, and Dentsply Sirona and the American Dental Association have continued this tradition as co-sponsors of this leading dental student research competition. The SCADA program includes a Global and a US Student Clinician Research competition and an annual Awards Program. The competition and award program have gained widespread recognition, and it has engaged more than 8,500 young dental professionals from 28 countries since its inception.

SCADA is dedicated to two main goals. First, the program aims to strengthen the field of dental research by supporting young professionals in their research careers. Moreover, it offers a unique opportunity for students to network with clinicians and scientists from all over the world as they look to develop their skills and advance their careers. While the networking opportunity was curtailed, students interacted virtually and had the opportunity to showcase their work and gain valuable skills as they developed and virtually presented their research.

SCADA advances science and improves global oral health

“Dentsply Sirona is proud to support the talented next generation of dental leaders at the beginning of their careers. The competition entries are so impressive with their high level of research and the students’ professionalism. SCADA is dedicated to advancing science and enriching the professional development of dental students. This mirrors Dentsply Sirona’s purpose to empower dental professional and improve oral health worldwide. We are thrilled to support these future dental leaders in collaboration with the AADR, and we look forward to partnering with these dentists throughout their professional lives,” says Dr. Teresa A. Dolan, Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer with Dentsply Sirona. “Congratulations to all participants in this year’s SCADA program who made a significant commitment to developing and presenting their research projects virtually. They quickly adapted to challenging circumstances and did an amazing job preparing their virtual research presentations!”

In Category 1 – Clinical Science and Public Health Research – first place was awarded to Patrick E. Donnelly, University of Pittsburgh, for his research on Acellular Hydrogel Regenerates Vascularized Tissue in Root Canal Therapy. Second place was awarded to Kathryn Teruya, University of Missouri – Kansas City, for her research on Changes in Dental Student Empathy During Training. Third place was awarded to Taylor Robertson, University of Detroit Mercy, for research on Spectral analysis of one-shade nanofilled resin composites under different lights.

In Category 2 – Basic and Translational Science – first place was awarded to Tanner Godfrey, University of Alabama at Birmingham, for his research on BAF45A Mediated Chromatin Landscaping Controls Bone Formation. Tied in the second place, Blake LaTendresse, Creighton University, was awarded for his research on Testing Immunogenic Peptides Against Candida Albicans, together with Eric Mullins, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, for his research on Comparative Expression Of Exosome-Derived Dental Pulp Stem Cell (DPSC) MicroRNAs. Third place was awarded to Madison Aungst, University of Colorado, for her research on A Flow Cytometer Protocol for Quantifying Microbes in Dental Waterlines.

The student participants were grateful for the opportunity to continue with the competition, despite the need to cancel the annual in-person research meeting. “Thank you for moving forward with the virtual competition. It would have been nice to all be together, but I think the virtual presentation was a lot of fun!” said Patrick Donnelly. Student Clinician Eric Mullins shared a similar sentiment, “Thank you so much for this opportunity. I was disappointed when it was announced that the [AADR] conference in DC was cancelled, so it was good news to hear the SCADA competition would continue online. This was a great event, and I'm glad I was able to participate.”

Four additional awards beyond the SCADA competition

The SCADA Board of Directors also presented five awards recognizing leaders in dental research and academics. SCADA provides fellowship funding to promote continued scholarship and help support graduate education. Two post-doctoral students were awarded Henry M. Thornton SCADA Fellowships: Dr. Nisarg Patel, University of California, San Francisco and Dr. Lauren Katz, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In collaboration with the American Dental Association, SCADA also awarded the ADA Foundation/Dentsply Sirona Research Award for Dual Degree Candidates to Dr. Joy Kirkpatrick, DMD/PhD candidate at the Medical University of South Carolina.

The SCADA Board of Directors also supports and acknowledges leaders for their commitment to the advancement of dentistry with two additional awards. Dr. Pandu Gangula from Meharry Medical College received the Burton C. Borgelt / SCADA Faculty Advisor Award. Dr. Rada Sumareva, a private practice periodontist and long-serving SCADA judge, was honored with the Alan J. Davis / SCADA Achievement Award. Dr. Yoko Ishida-Okumura from the Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences in Japan was recognized for her service on the SCADA Board of Directors.

More information about SCADA and other awards granted: https://www.scadaresearch.org